Perspectives on a Hidden Relationship
by wordsequalmight
Summary: Vasilisa Dragomir was not unobservant. She knew Rose had a crush on Dimitri. But she also knew nothing could come of it. What she didn't anticipate, however, was stumbling across them during a hidden moment and realizing just how wrong she really was, and how one-sided or how big that 'little crush' was not. Rated 'T' to be safe.
1. Ignorance is not Always Bliss

**Hello!**

**I wanted to try something out. Just read the Vampire Academy series, and I kind of wanted to rewrite the series from the necklace scene in the first book to the end with my own twists and turns. I know it's probably been done before, but oh well :) **

**This is a "excerpt" from that idea. Set in the beginning of Shadow Kiss, before they all leave for Victor's trial, Lissa wakes up to find Rose and stumbles across her and Dimitri having a moment. I couldn't believe that at the end of Shadow Kiss Lissa was surprised at Rose and Dimitri being romantically involved. Everyone else could totally see it, even when they weren't actually together, so why couldn't Lissa? It just kind of bugged me.**

**Basically, the deal is: read, review (constructive criticism only!), and tell me if you think you'd like to see the above-mentioned story idea. Or if you want me to kind of continue with these little one-shots of different perspectives from characters in the series. Whichever's more popular. Though, just for kicks, I'll probably write something like this in Tasha's POV, just because I don't like the woman AT ALL.**

**I wasn't sure on the rating, so I'm posting it as a T with a strong warning. This does contain some sexual content, no lemons, though. I don't write lemons. Period.**

**Okay, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Academy and all of it's books, characters, settings, and plot lines belong to Richelle Mead, who I can't thank enough for writing such a wonderful series. Even though most of the time I want to yell 'hurry up and get together' to Dimitri and Rose. Besides, if I had written VA, Rose and Dimitri would have gotten together at the end of Vampire Academy and not at the end of Shadow Kiss. Dimitri also would not have turned Strigoi.**

* * *

Vasilisa Dragomir was not stupid. Or unobservant for that matter. Even though some people thought she was wrapped up in her boyfriend, Christian Ozera, to pay Rose any attention, Lissa still knew when Rose liked someone. And right now, her bond-mate was crushing big time on Dimitri Belikov.

Lissa knew it was a futile effort. Belikov was seven years older than Rose, too his job very seriously and would not cross any line of professionalism. Besides, though Rose was very beautiful, Dimitri wouldn't like her in that way. Christian had told her of his aunt, Tasha's brief fling with the guardian. Even if there were feelings there, Dimitri and Rose wouldn't even risk it! The consequences of such a relationship would greatly impact their futures, and Lissa wanted them both as her future guardians. Call her selfish, but one is already assigned to protect her, and Rose will be assigned to her when Rose graduated the coming spring.

Sometimes Lissa noticed the lingering gazes, the occasional touch or caress, the way that only Dimitri would be able to calm Rose down or cheer her up just by walking into a room. She also noticed that Rose was acting more and more like Dimitri did in her training. She didn't just waltz into a dangerous situation anymore and hope for the best, but instead Rose waited and strategized, then with calculating grace and cool efficiency took down her opponents with lightning-fast strikes and solid hits.

Lissa also noticed Dimitri changing. The stoicism and professionalism were still there, but she could hear humor in his voice when Rose said or did something particularly amusing. She could see poorly concealed anger in his jawline whenever he saw or heard Adrian Ivashkov or Jesse Zeklos. Lissa could also feel the concern coming off Dimitri in waves when Rose came to lunch with a developing bruise from training.

But she never put it all together, denial firmly in place. They're becoming really good friends, she reasoned. When a person spent most of their time around another person, those people become friends. Just look at Rose and Adrian. Dimitri's just a really good friend to Rose, Lissa thought. With that notion in her mind, she was able to deny all accusations of an illicit relationship and never questioned Rose about it. She instead focused all of her time and energy into pairing Rose and Adrian.

One cool morning when she should have been asleep with the rest of the school, Lissa got out of bed, pulled on sweats and a T-shirt and walked out of the dorm. It was early in the morning, the sun was low in the sky when she left the dorm building so the light didn't bother her, and walked to the dhampir lodgings to find Rose. Lissa couldn't feel anything with their bond (it only went one way), so when she got to Rose's room and Rose wasn't there, Lissa didn't know where to look. Then it hit her.

When they were escorted back to the academy after they were found by school-hired guardians, Rose was told she needed to have remedial trainings with Belikov in her free time, to help her catch up to her peers. They had been using the old training gym on the far end of campus by the track so they wouldn't be disturbed. Lissa made her way down to the gym; now that the sun was practically nonexistent she could walk out in the open.

After a couple minutes of walking down a steep hill, Lissa finally saw the old gym. It was colored in greys and whites; very drab and boring. The paint was peeling in places and there was dirt everywhere. The small windows lined the top of the gym and with every other window open, they let out moldy, sweaty air. Lissa could not imagine anyone wanting to go near the building, let alone train in it.

She crept to the door, not wanting to disturb the training going on inside. The door was cracked, and Lissa's curiosity got the better of her and widened the door a little more. She gasped.

Rose and Dimitri were kissing. Really kissing. The kind of kissing that belongs somewhere _way_ more private than a decrepit training gym on the outskirts of a school. Dimitri's shirt was off with old black sweatpants slung low on his hips with his sneakers, and Rose was only in a sports bra, shorts and her sneakers. Her long hair was down, hair tie broken at Lissa's feet, and Dimitri was running one hand through the long strands. The other hand was running up and down Rose's thigh, which she had hooked around Dimitri's hip.

Holy shit.

Lissa, knowing the bond's effects, contained every ounce of pure, unadulterated shock that wanted to flow through her body. If Rose had caught wind of that emotion and was pulled into Lissa's mind, she'd know her and Dimitri would have been compromised. It would also make things totally weird and awkward between them. Lissa was well aware that Rose had been pulled into her mind during sex with Christian (or whenever they got hot and heavy), and that was bad enough.

She also didn't want Rose to think that she had been spying. But, wasn't that was she was doing already?

It was one of those situations where it's so awkward that you know you have to look away, but you can't. Dimitri's hand had left Rose's hair, and was now making its way down to the small of her back. He ran it side to side along Rose's lower back, and he shifted so that instead of her lips, he was kissing her neck and collarbone. Rose's head was thrown back, and her hands had stopped running up and down Dimitri's back. Now they were moving back and forth between hitting the wall they were pressed up against and lighting raking her nails along his lower back and (really defined!) abs, biceps, and base of his neck, where his _molnija_ marks were located. Small gasps could be heard from both of them as the intensity increased.

A strong gust of wind blew in from the open door, and one of the open windows above snapped shut. The loud sound caused the lovers to snap back to reality and jump about ten feet away from each other when they discovered how they were positioned. They both became insanely red-faced, and Dimitri coughed.

"Well," He began. Rose didn't speak, trying to look everywhere else instead of him.

"… That can't happen again."

Rose snapped her eyes back to him. "Why not? We're together, and we're allowed to do stuff like that. Dimitri, we've had sex before. I don't know how many times. No one else knows!"

"You're seventeen! And you're my student. There are lines that should not have been crossed. It may not matter to you, but it makes me feel guilty sometimes. I can't even be in the same room with your mother anymore, because she trusts me to train you and to not do anything that could compromise you or your reputation. I'm breaking her trust almost every day! I don't deserve that trust if every chance we get we jump each other." Dimitri retaliated.

This, to Lissa, had the feel of an age-old argument.

"But we are still training! We're not jumping each other every chance we get. If anything, I'm more focused on my training now than I was before. I've improved tenfold from just last week. I'm ready to take my Trials right now and pass with flying colors because you trust me more to use your old training from Siberia to train me. I'm at the top of my class right now, grades aside."

"But what good is it going to be if we're both assigned to the Princess? If I'm in a relationship with you, then I'm going to want to throw my body in front of danger to protect you and not her. She deserves better than two distracted guardians."

"We're not protecting anyone right now."

Silence. Lissa cast her eyes downward.

"You're still in school. There are rules put in place to protect students; to prevent teachers and students from having this sort of relationship." Dimitri ran his hand through his hair

Rose bit her lip. Tears were forming, and her voice cracked when she spoke. "How much longer are you going to use this stupid excuse? We've talked about this before. We've gotten past this. I didn't realize it still bothered you. I didn't realize you didn't want to be with me."

Rose took a seat on the bench, defeated. Dimitri followed her with is eyes, longing evident in them. The show of insecurity seemed to snap Dimitri into action.

"Roza." Dimitri spoke softly. The nickname in Russian (with the more pronounced accent) was a small shock to Lissa, who had never heard it before.

She looked up. Dimitri walked over to her, and kneeled in front of her. Took her hands in his and spoke.

"I love you. You know I do. However, things are really weird and stressful right now because of Dashkov's trial, your mother being here and actively taking part in your life. Not to mention what happened in Spokane. I want to be with you. I turned down Tasha Ozera so I could be with you. I agree with everything you said, because it's the truth. But it's also my job on the line. I need to be able to deny accusations of an illicit relationship or statutory rape because you know Victor will say something about what happened between us the night Lissa was kidnapped. About why it took us so long to notify others. Plausible deniability is the key phrase here."

Lissa was trying not to cry. It was so sad, watching two people she knew and loved having to deny each other happiness because of their limitations and duty to a greater cause.

Rose nodded. "I understand. It's so hard, though. Seeing everyone else out in the open together, and then having to be secretive and lying about why I don't want to go out with Adrian, or leading Mason on with no concrete promises of a relationship. I don't want to deny you the opportunity to have a family with Tasha, either. These moments that we can steal away for ourselves have become stabilizing to me. I can always count on you being here to support me and listen to me and hold me when nothing else is going right. And I know you count on me for the same things.

"We don't have time to stay apart. I know that when I graduate a relationship won't be possible. Things change, stuff happens, and what if you are killed tomorrow? Or turned into a Strigoi? I want to have memories of you that I can carry with me. We can't be friends, we've tried that. We can't stay apart, we've tried that too. Other than being together, damn the consequences, what do you expect us to do?"

No answer. Lissa's heart was pounding. The sun was almost completely down, and she could hear people moving inside the school. In the split second she had turned away and turned back, Rose and Dimitri began to kiss again. It was not as raw as the first one she had seen, but it was way to intimate. They broke apart.

"Stay together. Damn the consequences. Despite my reservations." Dimitri smiled.

Rose grinned hugely, and threw her arms around him. Lissa decided enough was enough, and began to walk away.

"Don't feel so guilty all the time, Dimitri," Lissa could faintly hear Rose say. "Remember, I share a big part of the guilt too."

Sounds of them getting up and picking up all the stakes and dummies from the floor began to filter out through the door, and as Lissa ran back up the hill, she decided that she was going to share the guilt as well. Secrets couldn't stay secrets without help.

* * *

**So, what did you think? Remember: constructively review and offer your opinion of what you'd like to see. **

**The choices are:**

**- A bunch of one-shots from the perspectives of different characters throughout VA series that would expand on Dimitri and Rose's relationship.**

**- A complete rewrite of the series starting from the enchanted necklace scene from the first book with my own little twists and differences. Same plotlines, same adversities, but just more problems and a little more angst.**

**Thank you!**


	2. Jealousy isn't a Good Color on Anyone

**Hello, again! Wow, this took me a while. I had no idea how to portray Tasha, and though I wanted to make her a nice, yet lonely, lady in love I couldn't help but wonder if she was just really good at masking her true intentions. I mean, she shot Rose in cold blood. There was a moment of hesitation between when Mia escaped and Rose jumped in front of Lissa, and when Rose was shot.**

**So... a person's got to wonder if Tasha was never going to shoot Lissa and really wanted to shoot/kill Rose. And she was a little too into Dimitri, even though it was blatantly obvious who he chose. Bottom line: Tasha and her actions throughout the series just rubbed me the wrong way.**

**I might have gotten some ages wrong in here too. I used the working theory that Tasha is seven years older than Dimitri, which makes her (in the series) 31 years old as opposed to Dimitri being 24 years old, and Rose is 17 years old because "Frostbite" was set before her eighteenth birthday. Also, Christian was 13 years old when his parents came back for him after turning Strigoi. This may not have been the right age, but it's kind of ridiculous that they would come back for him when he was any younger. Just saying. ;)**

**Thank you all for your reviews! I really didn't know what to expect reaction-wise after posting this, and I'm happy to say I made the right choice. Thank you to everyone who is now following this story and have made me a favorite author, and are following me as an author. I really appreciate the positive responses, and I hope I don't disappoint!**

**Oh, and if anyone hasn't heard already, they are making the VA movie, called Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters. Go onto YouTube, and look up a video titled, "Why the Vampire Academy Cast = PERFECTION!" by Hali Pandas. It's a really good video if you wanted to begin your fangirling/boying over the film adaption of our favorite vampire series. Some really good quotes from Richelle Mead herself, and some basic info, pictures and clips of the actors who will be portraying Rose, Dimitri and Lissa. Further cast info can be found on IMBD under Blood Sisters.**

**Sorry for that long blurb, but it had to be said. Now... on with the story!**

**Disclaimer****: Any recognizable plot lines, characters and places are the work of the lovely Richelle Mead. I don't own the VA series, or rights to the movie that will come out in 2014. This is my own little brainchild.**

Natasha Ozera was not a happy woman. Nor was she a woman used to being denied what she wants. And she wanted Dimitri Belikov. Unfortunately, therein lay the problem.

Being an Ozera, Tasha was not accustomed to a life of luxury and guardians. Even though her family is one of the twelve ruling families in the Moroi world, the choice Lucas and Moira Ozera, Christian's parents, made to willingly turn Strigoi and their future attempt to turn their only son into Strigoi as well did not accumulate favor within Moroi society. So, the council decided to punish the family and denied the surviving members (Tasha and Christian) guardians.

Christian was currently studying at St. Vladimir's Academy, so he was well-protected there. However, Tasha was not at a boarding school equipped with guardians. She was out on her own in the world.

Before the incident, the Ozera family was welcome at court. Tasha personally loved to spend summers there; the warm, Pennsylvania air, industrial with the slight twinge of nature, was so different from everywhere else she had been. It was rustic, modernized, and in the more suburban areas of the state it wasn't crowed enough to fear the human discovery of their less-than-human neighbors. It was nice to be in a place where she didn't have to pretend she was something else. It was during one of these summer trips when she met _him_.

Dimitri Belikov had just graduated from St. Basil's Academy in Siberia, Russia, and had been officially assigned to his good friend Ivan Zeklos, a royal. Both grads had come to court for a small vacation before they were needed back, and their insanely good looks (slight stubble, strong jaws, muscular physiques and longer able-to-be-tied-in-a-short-ponytail dark almost black hair) immediately snapped up all of the female attention and attraction.

Through mutual acquaintances and respect for the game of pool, Tasha and Dimitri met and became friends.

They never had an actual relationship, never kissed and never went out on dates. The never even had sex, or anything close to a friends with benefits relationship. This annoyed Tasha to no end. Although, she became pacified and smug when she saw how all of the other Moroi women became jealous every time the two stepped into a room together.

Rumors of an affair circulated, and Tasha never did anything to dispel them. Okay, she may have been the direct cause of most of those rumors describing illicit (but hot) behavior. Whatever.

When it came time to depart, they exchanged contact information and agreed to keep in touch. Over the next two years, they sent about four or five e-mails, six texts and met in person once. That was right after Tasha had gotten a big chunk of her cheek ripped out by her nephew's Strigoi parents in an attempt to protect said nephew, the then thirteen-year-old Christian. Tasha was twenty-seven and Dimitri was twenty.

Three years later, when Tasha was thirty and Dimitri was twenty-three another tragedy occurred. Ivan Zeklos, Dimitri's charge, was murdered while Dimitri was away visiting family in Baia. Dimitri immediately left Russia and applied to work as a school guardian for St. Vladimir's Academy. Tasha retreated into solitude.

After the attack on the Badicas, another royal family, one year later, Tasha began to fear for her own safety. She didn't try to hide herself, but she did take precautions so that her location and identity could not be discovered easily. She taught more and more martial arts lessons and practiced more and more offensive magic. The constant pressure on her body took its toll, and she became so exhausted that she collapsed after making a small fireball in her backyard.

Scared shitless, packing essentials Tasha left her house and drove to St. Vladimir's Academy for some modicum of safety. Even though they didn't like her family, Tasha had personally done nothing wrong and had protected Christian to the point of self-injury. Headmistress Kirova would allow her to stay on the grounds in the unused guardian cabins just until Tasha could figure out something else to do.

While Tasha was talking to Christian and Lissa in the woods two hours after her arrival, Dimitri and Rose came walking down the hill in exercise clothes and covered in sweat.

Seeing Dimitri Belikov again gave her an idea. Dimitri would agree to become Tasha's guardian. Though the Court never would assign her one, that didn't mean she couldn't have one. It was a beneficial situation for Tasha as well, because then she, a thirty-one year old woman with no family of her own, would become his unofficial wife and give him the love she had always had, and children he had always wanted but never would have.

The wheels in her head were spinning at amazing speeds, so she didn't notice the person at his side until Dimitri had introduced her. The Turkish-looking woman was his seventeen year old student. One look at the pair and Tasha was already suspicious of the professionalism of the relationship. She also knew exactly who this girl was and what this would mean for her plan. The only thing that would get in the way of successfully executing said plan would be his student.

Rosemarie Hathaway.

Beautiful and exotic (a curvy rarity even among dhampirs), and the daughter of renowned guardian Janine Hathaway, Rose was wanted by most of the male population at St. Vladimir's, even after the two-year disappearing act she pulled. Actually, the disappearing act and subsequent return only made them want her _more. _

At fifteen years old, had Rose broken out of St. Vladimir's Academy due to reasons unknown with her Moroi best friend (and the Last Dragomir Princess) Vasilisa. The two girls had survived in the mortal world without any feeders, money, or plan. She kept them both alive, fending off the school's guardians and psi-hounds (or so Rose said) and made her way across states without getting caught. This made Rose that much hotter when she was dragged back. Her hourglass figure, with an addition of tanned skin, long, silky and luxurious dark brown hair and obvious (but not bulging) muscle, made her even more desirable to any male with a pulse and seeing eyes.

Dimitri, Tasha could see, was no exception.

The way he was looking at her, eyes unconsciously roaming over Rose's figure as he talked, an unusual tender and affectionate expression on his usual stoic face, alerted Tasha to the fact that there was something going on under the surface between the two. Something possibly loving and adoring, but almost certainly sexual. Neither person noticed they were doing it, but they were unconsciously leaning closer to the other, like oppositely charged magnets attracting each other. These were things that mentors and their students did not do.

Tasha immediately remembered a time when he said he would never mentor another dhampir because he would not have the patience to deal with the attitudes. But, she reasoned, even if a person did not have the patience to teach Rose because they would have to deal with her rebellious attitude, the reward of getting close to that body of hers was invaluable.

That was all taken from first glance in the woods of St. Vladimir's. Tasha firmly denied every observation she made, her practical side reasoned that it was just a purely physical attraction, and nothing love-related was going on. Her increasing jealousy reinforced that notion, convincing Tasha that Dimitri was just being a man, and would eventually get tired of the child, whose looks would inevitably fade with her chosen profession and move on to someone who wouldn't disintegrate. Hopefully to a Moroi woman, like Tasha. This reasoning made dealing with Rose's constant and infuriating presence a thousand times easier.

Then the winter trip to the lodge retreat came.

Tasha was taken aback by how often they trained. Early morning, late night, caches of time between events, even weight-lifting in the gym when they were bored. But whether it be a small conditioning session or a full-blown conditioning and sparring session, Tasha could not believe that Dimitri would want to spend any amount of time with that whiny, immature child. So the girl was going to be an amazing guardian? Who really cares? Bottom line: Rose did not need to train while she was not in school.

In Tasha's opinion, Dimitri needed to have fun with an adult, not a minor who flirted with every single male with a pulse in a twenty-foot radius. It was embarrassing to watch. And to hang all over Adrian Ivashkov? That wasted, sad, womanizing excuse for a Moroi royal? Pathetic.

But as the days went on, Tasha began to notice things. She noticed the way Dimitri always blew hanging with her or the other guardians off to train with Rose. Tasha also noticed how Rose, despite all the flirting, really never went out or spent time alone with any of her male friends. The only male she spent hours on end alone with was Dimitri. Tasha didn't understand what their relationship entailed, specifically. But she shrugged it off, reasoning that the two were friends. They had to be; they spent almost every waking hour with each other.

Tasha also noticed the looks the two gave each other when the two rumored 'gods' were out in society and mingling with the common mortals. The way Dimitri's gaze would harden when Adrian or Mason flirted with Rose, but then soften when Rose was alone or talking to another female. It was kind of funny, because she noticed the same looks from Rose. The glare came full-force when Dimitri talked to other females, or when him and Rose walked through the activity area after a workout and his T-shirt clung to his many, well-defined muscles and all of the women stopped dead in their tracks to stare. Talk about obvious jealousy.

Tasha was surprised when no one else seemed to make the connections or came to the conclusion about a possible relationship between the two. There were definitely feelings on both sides, but were they acting on them? No, Tasha decided. The sexual tension (how is no one picking up on this, exactly?) between the two was so thick it would take her hours to burn through it. If they had given into their feelings, it still would be there, but lessened by many degrees.

However, time was running out. It was only a matter of time before they snapped and fucked like the Energizer bunny on crack. So, Tasha decided it was time to make the offer.

She set up a meeting with him at a casual restaurant in town, disguised as 'hanging-out' and 'catching up' with her strategy meticulously planned and supporting arguments ready. They talked, ordered food and drinks, and it was almost like old times. She had been gearing up the courage to ask him, and while they were walking through the lobby, she pulled him into a semi-hidden alcove.

Before she even opened her mouth, he told her no. No. Without a second thought. He didn't even sound guilty when he turned her down, nor did he become ashamed, allow her to speak (excusing her shell-shocked stuttering), or apologize for his blatant rudeness. In fact, immediately after saying 'no', he got out his Blackberry, sent a quick text and left her gaping and spluttering like a fish.

What the hell?

Tasha was flabbergasted. How could he deny her so easily? How dare he deny what he had always wanted? Somehow he knew what she was going to ask before she even asked it! As far as she knew, and she knew pretty damn much about his life from their game of catch up in the restaurant, he was single. There were no other Moroi women vying for a chance to have his kids, and he would never involve himself with another dhampir or a human. So what was keeping him from saying 'yes'?

She reviewed her interactions with him closely over the next few days and the observations she had made herself forget about for so long were analyzed with vengeance (or blackmail material) on the mind. Dimitri never went out at night with the other guardians for a beer or to play pool, which she knew he loved. In fact, he never left his room after a certain time at night. When he wasn't guarding anyone, he was always doing something Rose-related, whether it be the training sessions or the secret, serious conversations that they always seemed to have in a corner of the church where no one could hear them.

It hit her hard while she was at a meeting; so suddenly did the realization hit her she had absolutely no time to prepare.

"_No. Fucking. Way._"

Eyes widening and mouth opening in complete and utter shock, Natasha Ozera calmly excused herself from the council meeting with the Queen, ignoring the questioning and curious looks from those around her, and left the room. In a daze, Tasha somehow managed to make her way back to her own room.

Where she proceeded to flip shit.

Furniture was damaged beyond repair, scorch marks diagonally cut the walls and fire burnt the drapes to a crisp. She screamed until her voice ran hoarse and her throat hurt. It was a blessing in disguise that Tasha had no guardians, and all other guardians were at various meetings with and without their Moroi or else they would have broken down her door in an attempt to protect her from being murdered.

She couldn't believe what she had missed. Dimitri and Rose? A couple and in love? Was the world ending?

They were total opposites, in Tasha's opinion. Where Dimitri was calm and calculated, Rose was wild and unpredictable. Dimitri was logical, where Rose was impractical. He was older and more experienced, she was still a child. Never in a million years could these two personalities working and balancing each other out to form a stable relationship.

What the hell?

Rose was also his student. His student! Surely Tasha thought Dimitri would never cross that line. In her mind, Dimitri could do no wrong. Tasha's logical, calm, and _noble_ Russian god would _never_, in a million gazillion years, ignore the rules, cast aside his honor, and fuck his student. No… it was Rose who made him into someone Tasha barely recognized. This Dimitri smiled a lot more, cracked subtle jokes, wore more tight T-shirts (not that Tasha minded in the slightest), and was pulled farther and farther away from her.

Suddenly, Tasha's mind began to plan with cruel, cold efficiency. She needed to figure out a way to get rid of Rose.

Without her, Dimitri would go back to Tasha. They had been close friends for a long time, and while Rose may be a passing fancy, Tasha was the constant. Tasha knew him better than anyone else, and when Dimitri was done being a twenty-four year old male and fucking the one thing that he knew he couldn't get pregnant, or being with an exotic girl, young that he knew he could never commit to, Dimitri would drop the bitch and crawl back to Tasha, begging to take her up on the offer.

Tasha realized she could very well turn them in. They would be separated, Rose would be punished but Dimitri would go to jail, and Tasha couldn't have that. She wanted to work her way back up the society ladder, and having a guardian with a record of statutory rape would not be a good place to start. Dimitri did not belong in jail for something he did not do willingly anyway. Rose most likely seduced him with her little whore tricks, using her young, curvy, exotic body to entice and enchant him until he completely fell under her spell.

Who knew how long this infatuation would last?

Because that's what it was... infatuation. Tasha figured he wasn't really in love with Rosemarie Hathaway. There was no way he could be. It was just an intense physical attraction manifesting and playing itself out, and if Tasha could figure out how to use that to her advantage, to get what she wanted, then she was in business.

But one thing was certain... Rose needed to pay for stealing what belonged to Natasha Ozera, and only Natasha would mete out the suitable justice.

So, she'll keep their secret, because no matter who he was with, Dimitri Belikov was hers. He will always come back to her, and nothing will stand in her way from having a future with him.

Not even Rose Hathaway.

**So... what did you think? Like I said, I had no idea where to go with Tasha. Hopefully Tasha-lovers don't hate me! Then again, this is a Dimitri/Rose fic. Tasha-bashing is almost required. No offense to anyone. Y'all get my meaning.**

**Who next? I'm stumped. If someone gives me a person, I know I'll immediately begin to write with the creative juices flowing at speeds greater than mortal comprehension. Now that I sort of know what I want to do with this piece, the wait won't be as long. Six hours of classcial music in the YouTube video Vivaldi- 'I Solisti Veneti' helped a lot to focus me. **

**But my work schedule is unpredictable, so I could literally be working eight hours three days in a row. Or go another couple of weeks without a day off. Who knows?**

**Remember to review! No flames; only constructive criticism, please. :)**


	3. Unrequited Love Sucks

**Hello all! **

**I've been sitting on this chapter for a while now, editing and adding, and writing it. I honestly tried to write in Christian's POV, I really did. But I couldn't help but think of Adrian. His issue of unrequited love is my current issue (not unrequited love, but unrequited like) as well, so I really identified with him and his angst. **

**I personally thought he was one of the more annoying characters, but I felt really bad for him. Rose did what she did because she really did try to move on from Dimitri, and Adrian was ready and more than willing to date her and treat her right. She didn't have to hide with him, and when people would judge, she would care because she wasn't all that into him. With Dimitri, she wanted people to know about their relationship, but they had to hide, and she didn't care about judgment because she knew what she had with him (Dimitri) was real.**

**Adrian is also such a fun character to write. He can be incredibly sarcastic and act like a total jerk, an it's OK because it's Adrian, and that is who he is. I hope that I got his personality and his characteristics right. **

**Ever since school started, I've been really busy with classes and prepping for my last SAT test (took that Saturday) and cheering has been constant. I haven't had a whole lot of time to dedicate to this chapter, so it's a little raw and somewhat unedited. **

**I wanted to get this chapter up because I don't want to make y'all wait any longer for it, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer****: All recognizable content, including characters, plot lines, and setting, is the work of Richelle Mean, the lovely woman who brought these characters to life through words, and the woman who has allowed her vision to be shared with the world on the big screen Valentine's Day (or so I have read). This little plot bunny, however, is all mine. #preparedtobetested**

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_P__op!_

The cork of the wine bottle flew out of its place and bounced of many objects in the room before landing who knew where. Adrian sure as hell didn't care. He was too busy trying to drown his feelings in booze to block out the pain of having lost Rose to Dimitri.

Dimitri-freaking-"I was a Strigoi for months but somehow became a dhampir again"-Belikov.

What the hell.

Adrian didn't have anything against the guy personally. He was an amazing guardian and friend, loyal and devoted to whatever he deemed worthy. But Dimitri had somehow won over Rose.

And Adrian couldn't help but hate him.

It wasn't like it was so obvious that people caught on. Rose and Dimitri were both such private people and you had to dig, poke, and prod to discover what they were really like underneath all of the bravado (in Rose's case) or the indifferent mask (in Dimitri's case). So they would not have made it obvious. But to the trained observer, like Adrian was (or like to think he was), it was glaring.

He turned the wine bottle upside down and let the contents pour into his abused stomach, and felt the numbing effects of the alcohol instantaneously. A slow, lazy, spirited smile appeared on Adrian's face as he thought about his 'relationship' with the brunette dhampir. Then his smile dropped, a red haze filled his vision, and Adrian threw the now-empty bottle towards the opposite wall with all his limited might. The lovely tinkling sound of breaking glass crowded his hearing, and the smile was back.

What relationship? It was a joke. Something to fill her time until her precious cradle-robber came back to her.

It was sad, that no one had noticed anything before. The looks Dimitri would give her… the intensity of them… it was like he was staring into her soul. Or peeling the clothes off her body one by one. Whichever was less maudlin. The young guardian's personality was totally different around her as well. He smiled more, was more willing to joke around and tease, and whenever she got Dimitri Belikov to laugh, Adrian was surprised when Dimitri didn't immediately pin Rose to the wall to kiss the shit out of her.

Rose was showing the same signs of a changing personality too. She was more cautious, more reserved. She waited and analyzed a situation before deciding on the quickest and most efficient solution. She also spent all her free time training and working out. Now, don't get Adrian wrong, the things it did to her body were amazing! Rose was toned in all the right places, soft in all the right places, and that endurance! Adrian could think of many things to do with that endurance.

But no matter how much Adrian drank, he still knew that this heartbreak was his doing. He set himself up for this, and no matter how much he was angry with her when the truth came out and sides were taken, it was a situation that Adrian created himself.

He knew full well that she could never be truly devoted to him. It was in the back of his mind, his subconscious, that Rose would never be his. He would have her body, yes. But her heart? Her thoughts? Those belonged to Dimitri.

And Adrian never had a chance.

Adrian thought he could change her mind. Thought he could make her see the error of her ways, choosing a man several years older than herself. Never mind the fact that he was a fellow dhampir and a guardian and her mentor. Adrian himself was four years her senior, but Belikov was seven years her senior, which made him three years older than Adrian. He felt bad for bringing up the age thing, because what was age really but a number? In this argument, Adrian was actually closer to her in age than Belikov. This gave him no end of glee.

But the fact that Belikov was her _mentor_… Her freaking _mentor_?!

Now that was something he could get angry at her for.

There was a line there. A giant, neon yellow double line, like those 'do not cross' warnings that are painted on the street for drivers to see and heed.

And they had not heeded it, but crossed it.

Having sex with your mentor when you're not even legal isn't even considered crossing the line. No, it's considered blowing the line up into trillions of little yellow bits so that the line doesn't even exist anymore!

Adrian remembered a conversation between the two out in the woods while the older guardians were planning the rescue mission. Back when things were still normal. Back when Adrian still thought he had a chance.

The Strigoi attack had just occurred, with Rose and Christian and Belikov decimating their numbers. But not before the Strigoi captured twelve of their friends and teachers.

The couple had seemingly excused themselves because they needed some air and walked out of the guardian building. The began the walk standing a respectable distance apart, but the closer they got to the woods and further away from any prying, judging eyes, the shorter the distance became between them.

Having nothing better to do, Adrian, of course, followed them.

In no time at all, they came across a cabin sequestered deep in the woods by the border. Rose stopped and stared at it, her face turning red and sweat beads beginning to form on her forehead. She turned to glance at Dimitri, who Adrian noticed looked the same; red-faced and sweaty. He glanced at their hands, which were now joined, Dimitri's larger hand caressing Rose's significantly smaller one.

"I don't regret it." Rose suddenly stated, building the tension they could all feel.

"Are you sure? You can never take it back." Dimitri turned to face her, his hand now wrapping itself around her waist and drawing her body closer to his.

"Yep! Besides," Rose smirked up at the older man, "it had to happen sometime."

Wait a minute. What happened?

Belikov smirked, and the look in his eyes made Adrian want to hurl. Or look away. Maybe a combination of both. He swore that something caught fire from that look, though, because Adrian felt very uncomfortable and pulled at the collar of his shirt a couple of times.

Adrian's mind was running at fifty miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. Then it hit him: _They had sex. They had sex._ He waited nervously with bated breath.

"Roza… saying 'I love you' to someone is huge. I just want you to be sure you're making the right choice."

Adrian's world exploded. He could feel his heart breaking into millions of pieces when he heard Dimitri say that Rose had confessed her love. It wasn't fair that he had to hear this, but the couple had no idea he was listening in on their conversation just twenty feet away.

They were justified in not mincing words, or keep their conversation polite and G-rated. It was supposed to be a private conversation between the two of them. Adrian watched the world tilting, but it appeared he was the only one.

Dimitri leaned against a tree, pulling Rose with him so she was leaning on him. Her body lined up with his perfectly, and her head fit into the crook of his shoulder like a missing puzzle piece.

Adrian's world rocked a little more.

"I know," Rose replied. "You're the first person I've ever said that too. We've been sneaking around for almost eight months, and every day, I find more reasons that make me love you. I know our relationship isn't conventional… or legal… but I don't care. When age and circumstance stopped mattering to me, then I knew I was in love with you."

Adrian's ears felt like they were bleeding. Why was he still sticking around for this again? Why was he insisting on torturing himself like this?

"You know that I love you. I don't care about age and circumstance anymore. Once I realized that I couldn't stop fighting what we have together… I'm yours. Body and soul, and nothing will ever take you away from me." Dimitri leaned in to kiss Rose.

They kissed, and it was like the Earth stopped spinning on its axis. They kissed passionately, like they were newly married and couldn't keep their hands off of each other. When that all-consuming love for the other couldn't be contained. It was like watching a woman embrace the man she loved when he finally came home after a long absence.

It was like watching soul mates find each other after being pulled apart by outside forces.

Adrian felt hot tears running down his face. He leaned up against a tree trunk, still hiding himself as he broke down. Adrian finally faced away when Rose jumped on Dimitri and wrapped her legs around his slim, muscled waist as he turned and pressed her up against the tree he had just been leaning on.

After a couple of seconds, and Adrian was ninety-five percent sure they were too wrapped up in what they were doing (not family-friendly stuff, mind you), he pushed off the tree trunk and silently made his way back up the wooded hill and finally onto the manicured school lawn.

All the way back to his apartments on the far end of campus, completely opposite from where he knew Rose and Dimitri were consummating their relationship in that available cabin, Adrian opened the door to his allocated room and flung himself down on the couch. He stared blankly at the white walls, the small cracks of chipped paint creating a pattern in the shape of a rose that only he could see.

Adrian was jerked out of the memory and brought back to the current situation of trying to drown his sorrow in the expensive red wine by the sudden realization:

His dream was dead.

Rose had made her choice.

Was it even a choice?

Dimitri had won.

Was it even a competition?

Rose belonged to another man.

Did she ever belong to Adrian?

Adrian's brain kept producing statements and counter questions until he could stand it no longer. It wasn't like him to dwell on unpleasant things, so why did Rose never leave him? Why couldn't he get her out of his system? A bottle of vodka and gorgeous women always helped him in times of major stress and confusion like this. His emotions were running high and violently, like someone had jump-started them with a jumper cable, and then left the cable in so the sparks would continue to fly, and the charge became unbearable.

Adrian resolved himself. Rose and Dimitri were still on the run, still being hunted by the person who killed his beloved aunt. Now someone was asking questions about a possible illicit relationship between the mentor and his student. Adrian knew the answer was yes. He wanted to verbalize it, because that would mean payback for all the hurt they've caused him.

_But they didn't do it knowingly_, a little voice in the back of his mind reminded him. _Rose gave you a chance, and she did try to love you like you do her. She just wasn't made to be yours, and neither she nor you can help that. Rose was always going to be Dimitri's and vice versa_.

With that thought, Adrian denied all accusations on their behalf, and lied when asked questions he knew the honest answer to. He knew that he needed to move on, but to do that he was going to give one last gift to Rose. Adrian Ivashkov was going to protect their relationship with everything he had.

Even though it pained his heart to do so.

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**So... what did you think? You guys know the drill: be kind, leave a review. Again, no flames. Constructive criticism is valued more than flames are, and I will call you out next time if you do leave a flamer like so many other authors have begun to do to.**

**Okay. If you could tell me who's POV to write from next, that would be greatly appreciated!**

**Another note. I am now a beta author for Chaoses Angel. He writes Percy Jackson fanfiction, and his story is called Love? If you don't like the Annabeth/Percy pairing, or just want a good, quality story, then I recommend this one. Also, anything VA-related by Samwyseser, especially her story "Aurora Borealis". It's a work of genius. **

**Until next time, my wonderful fans. Have a great Monday, and please stay safe!**


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